When you think of the bench press, most likely you picture a guy lying on the bench, big shouldered, deep chested, a huge bar loaded with waits held over his face. All the action seems centered in the upper body, and this makes sense: the kinetic chain from weights down seems to end at the bench right beneath the shoulder blades. But is this true? Bench pressers with great technique know that the hips, lower back and legs play a pivotal role in maximizing your lifts, and in this article, we’ll take a close look at how to do exactly just that.
The first thing that needs to be made clear is what the kinetic chain is. This is the connection of components that channel the force from the top to the bottom. Thus, when the barbell is held straight up, stiff armed, the weight of the barbell should rest directly on the bones of the forearms, which channels the weight straight to the shoulders, which rest directly on the bench. However, good use of the back, hips and legs can subtly extend this kinetic chain, so that it extends from the barbell down to the feet where they are placed on the floor, not only bracing the body but allowing the lower body to contribute to the movement.
The key function of the lower body is to maintain the arch of the back. This is achieved by both knowing how much to arch the back, and how to correctly position the legs. The key is to arch the back the correct amount; never, ever lift your butt off the bench, but rather make enough room for a clenched fist to slide under. People tend to bridge their butts right up off the bench since it makes pressing easier (the same mechanics are in play that allow people to bench more on a decline press), but this takes the work away from the target muscles, and thus should be avoided.
Of vital importance is the positioning of the feet. They should be the same width apart as used in the squat, about a little wider than shoulder width, and your shins should be perpendicular to the ground, so that a right angle is formed at the knee. The feet should be completely flat on the ground, and the weight should rest firmly on the heels. This is of vital importance so that your feet don t slip out while lifting heavy weights, causing your whole arch to collapse, and resulting in a possibly dangerous drop of the barbell.
With your feet nailed to the floor, you should be able to transfer force horizontally along the bench through the hips into the arched back to reinforce the arch and keep the chest in its high position. This is done with a controlled isometric knee extension, with some slight hip extension produced by isometric contraction of the glutes and hamstrings. This should keep your arch tight, your chest elevated, help distribute the weight and keep your entire body taut to help you handle increasingly heavier weights.
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